display shelves

[Anonymous]

I was wondering if anyone has information on making display shelves - wall type. It looks fairly simple and inexpensive. Is there a source out there that gives a plan with details for a glass or plexiglass cover. What are the pros and cons to this. Please feel free to share your experience with this.

[Algonquin]

Hi Dave,

I did some research into shelving units for display of my O-Gauge collection in my train room a year or two ago. I originally wanted to build my own shelving and wanted to enclose them in glass to reduce dust collection on the trains.

I started by researching various model railroading books but found no detailed plans for enclosed shelving. Next I looked at various home repair and cabinetry books. These also provided no real help. Most showed how to build bookshelves.

One thing I did realize from reading these books was that to make nice looking enclosed shelving units, you need some cabinetry skills. I have been able to learn some basic carpentry from finishing my basement and assembling my train tables. However, based on my attempts to install crown molding and chair rails in my home, cabinetry skills were not one of the gifts I was born with. I decided to put open shelving in my basement to display the trains.

There are several manufacturers that make enclosed display shelving specifically for trains. I have not purchased any of them but they advertise in CTT and OGR and I thought I would list them here if anyone were interested.

Showcase Express
www.aarailroad.com
[phone] ext. 29
Makes display cabinets with shelving of aluminum with dust proof windows.
They have an ad on page 46 of the March 2001 CTT

The Exotic Wood Source
16870 River Park Rd.
Fairhope, AL 36532
[phone]
Makes wall display cases of wood with display lighting.
They have an ad on page 41 of the April 2001 OGR

Relative to open shelving systems, I did find a nice article on shelving systems for trains by John Grams in his book titled “Toy Train Collecting And Operating” that is published by Kalmbach books. The book does not give detailed plans for cases but does show the standard methods for installing wood shelving with angle brackets or using shelf brackets and standards. In either of these cases, track should be installed on the shelving or the shelving should be grooved to keep the trains from rolling off the shelves.

There was also an article on how to build O-Gauge train shelving from beadboard in the Summer 1989 CTT on page 37. I had planned on using this method for my train room since the installation did not look too difficult and the grooves in the beadboard function to hold the trains. This eliminates the need to install track on the shelving to hold the trains.

However, after seeing an article that showed a train collection displayed on extruded aluminum shelving that interested me, I decided to look further into this type of system. This extruded aluminum track appears to be available from two sources as follows:

Rail Rax
www.railrax.net
[phone]
786 Seely Avenue
Aromas, CA 95004
They have an ad on page 46 of the March 2001 CTT

And

Glenn Snyder Display Systems
www.gsds.com
[phone]
260 Oak Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
They have an ad on page 36 of the March 2001 CTT

I installed about 1000 feet of the GSDS shelving in my train room. I liked the look of this type of shelving because it does not seem to detract from the trains (which is what I am trying to show). These shelves are extruded with rails already part of the shelving. The shelves can be purchased to hold all sizes of trains. I purchased the O-Gauge shelves. The shelves are sold in six-foot lengths and can be connected with pins to cover long walls. They will also cut pieces to required lengths to fit your particular walls. I found these systems to be very easy to install. I could install eleven rows of shelf each 16 feet long in one day. The cost for a six foot length of O-gauge shelf is about $15. This is not cheap, but neither is wood shelving.

I hope this information helps some.

Regards,

Tim P.

[krakow]

Tim,

Thank you for all the info. I have a G guage overhead train layout in my basement. I would also like to get all of my G guage cars out of their boxes from the attic and display them. I also have thought of building wooden shelves with glass doors. I also do like the Aluminum ones for the same reasons as you stated. I am also whorry about DUST. How are yours working out? Do you have any pictures you could share.

john

[lionelsoni]

There is an erstwhile Dutchman named Rogier (not Roger) Donker who posts on the worldrailfans.org forum. He is a very nice fellow and can be reached at [e-mail] . He is a potter and cabinetmaker who, of course, makes his own display cases. You may be able to get suggestions from him or commission cabinets from him.

I too am working toward lining my walls with trains. My as-yet untried scheme is to cover the upper part of the wall with 15/32-inch BC plywood, painted to match the wall. Then I plan to attach 3-foot pieces of K-Line O27 supported directly by 2 1/2-inch Stanley corner braces. These fit snugly between the rails and the curl along the edge of the tie. I will clamp the track to the brace with a 6-32 x 1/4-inch flathead screw through the outer hole in the brace, then between the outer two rails and through a 1/2-inch o.d. fender washer bearing down on the flanges of the rails, with a nut on top.

I built a mockup which indicated that a brace every 18 inches was enough. It supported my heaviest locomotives (with a very slight displacement), but I don't intend to put them up there anyway. With a brace every foot, it should hold just about anything.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Wow Algonquin, that's some serious research there. But, like you said, they're all kind of expensive. Here's the "poor man's" solution.

Take 1 x 4 's cut grooves for the wheel's flanges, screw a bunch of these to some end boards and hang the whole unit on the wall. This method isn't super pretty, but it gets the trains up.

Over 20 years ago I lived in a small apartment, and my collection was growing fast. I made a bunch of these units, and hung them on every blank wall. I called it my "three dimensional wallpaper". When I moved, I unscrewed them and was left with a pile of lumber. Today that lumber is part of my layout, and I don't need shelves anymore.

I'll admit, that method is pretty crude, but there are ways to improve on it. One way is to substitute veneer plywood instead of 1 x 4's, then cover the cut edges with with iron on veneer that you can buy in rolls. Stain or finish any way you like. Add a back to the unit, either matching veneer plywood, or white enameled masonite paneling. I like the white, because it helps reflect the light, and shows off the trains better.

If you want to add dust protection, rip the top, bottom, and end pieces about 2 inches wider than the shelves. Cut 2 grooves near the front edge for glass or plexiglass bypass sliding doors.

The one thing you really need for this project is a table saw, but with the money you save, you could afford to buy a small one.

If you want more info, or other ideas, on do it yourself shelving, you can email me.

Elliot

[Roger Bielen]

I've made a couple of display cabinets using 3/4" MDF (med. dens. fiberboard). To do a fairly decent job you need at a minimum a table saw, or circular saw with a good guide for straight cutting. A router helps also. The most expensive part of the project was purchasing 3/16" plexiglass for the doors.

If you have the work area and basic wood working tools, go for it. Good luck.

[dougdagrump]

Something else you might check out, providing you are close to a large metro area, is the display cabinets that are used in stores. You see them everytime you go to your local hobby store. Look in the yellow pages for second hand office/store fixtures and maybe even in the newspapers for auctions for stores that are closing. This might not be as inexpensive as the open units but they can be locked up thereby keeping little people out of trouble.
Just a thought.

[SPFan]

There are lots of techniques for building shelves but you can build some fine ones with just a table saw and a drill motor. You can dado (groove) the sides to accept the shelves or simply nail on wood supports using moldings or cut plywood. Iron on veneers will give a professional appearance on the plywood edges. Using veneer edging will also allow you to use a simple joint at the corners. By mitreing the veneer you can make the corners appear that you have mitred them. For maximum strength and ridigity I'd suggest using some 1/8"-3/32" plywood across the back. Nail the back to the shelves and they will resist sagging and you can you use the backer to mount the selves to the wall. Check out www.rockler.com for hardware for glass doors. They sell slide tracks, door pulls and locks.
Pete